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Letters
A onetime 'free service' now cost residents
I am writing to express my concern about several issues in our town that need to be addressed:
* Raising the $10 parking permits to $50 per car per year.
* Including Bachman Avenue on the two-hour limit (excluding permit holders).
* Severe safety issue at Bachman Avenue and Tait Avenue.
First, the town is proposing a 500 percent increase in the cost of our permits, from $10 per car to $50 per car. At the Sep. 17 meeting I heard several town council members make reference that if the Almond Grove neighborhood wants the permit program, they should pay for the service, not the community. It was not the neighbors who asked for the permit parking program but C.B. Hannegan's and the town of Los Gatos. They brought it to the neighbors as a free service to help cut the number of complaints received by the police about loud and unruly customers disturbing the residential neighborhood. Again, this was not something we asked for but was the only alternative given the circumstances. Because this program is already established I believe it is the easiest target as a revenue recovery program as mentioned in the Parking Management Plan. Remember, the town council has continued to encourage and allow commercial development without addressing parking issues. This has been going on for years! Next time will it be $75 per car! Shouldn't it be the parking violator who pays for and funds the increase in enforcement, not the neighbors?
Second, after further review of the Parking Management Plan, Bachman Avenue was not added to the streets that would receive the two-hour parking limit (except permit holders). Last year the town council voted to add restrictions to certain areas of the Almond Grove: Wilder Avenue, parts of Tait Avenue, and Almendra Avenue received two-hour restriction while University and Edelen Avenues have 24-hour restricted parking. By implementing these small changes, having two- to three-hour limits in the town parking lots, Bachman Avenue has been inundated with employees parking all day long! One idea might be to force the owners of the "private" parking spaces to have a certain number of employees parking in their spaces. For example, Bank of America would comply by having a certain percentage of employee parking in their mostly empty lot. There must be a comprehensive plan throughout all the downtown area.
Last, I would like to address a severe safety issue at the corner of Bachman and Tait avenues. All four-way intersections have stop signs in the Almond Grove except for Bachman/Tait and Nicholson/Wilder. At the intersection of Bachman/Tait there have been at least two serious accidents and who knows how many close calls. I personally see this everyday! Everyone assumes it is a four-way stop sign, so you have motorists traveling on Tait going through the intersection thinking Bachman residents will stop. You have Bachman motorists traveling on the street who think they should stop and do, but then realize they shouldn't and begin to go again. This is very confusing to motorists and pedestrians alike. Because of the area's parking problems, cars are parked up to the corner of the intersection, and it is extremely difficult to see oncoming traffic. There is also an incredible number of cars traveling Tait Avenue to avoid N. Santa Cruz Avenue. Why is this intersection any different from the other intersections downtown? This stop sign will help save lives!
Julie Gilbert
Almond Grove resident
Los Gatos
Town should tell the county park what's going on
Today we arrived at Vasona Lake County Park to take our 4-year-old son on the train. This was a long-awaited event. My wife's uncle, who lives in Redwood Estates, had planned the day and even drove to the park recently to ensure the train would be running. My son loves trains and was thrilled to be going.
It was not to be. It turns out that the train, and all of Oak Meadow Park, was reserved for another group. No apologies, no sympathy for the kids who got no train ride or for the adults who had promised the kids a train ride. Just a small sign on the gate at the tracks. According to another man, who brought 30 kids for a birthday party and a ride on the train, the town park did not even tell the county park what was going on.
In the light of the events occurring in our world, this is pretty small for us adults. In the minds of all the kids who did not get a train ride, we adults cannot be trusted to keep our promises. Because of the poor planning and lack of consideration of the town of Los Gatos, I am a little bit less credible in the eyes of my son. Thanks.
John Mummert
Gilroy
Should open space be a funding priority?
Do I support open space or don't I? I have trouble expressing my feelings about this issue because I am frequently charmed by the open space around us and I use the preserved areas for running, walking, picnicking and even just observing the quiet hillsides.
They say that if we do not encourage this agency to preserve more land from development there will be too few examples of our past culture to allow our descendants to live life as they should be able to. But is that really our next critical need? Or is it providing housing and education? We have a limited amount of resources and it is no longer enough to experiment with public funds in order to see if we can preserve the rural character of our area for the next centuries' inhabitants.
If there is to be an $8 million dollar per year fund available for the public benefit, would it not be better to spend it on encouraging the arts? Even a percentage of that amount would provide greatly needed support for the San Jose Museum of Art and for the Arts in Education program in our public schools.
The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority has some achievements to its credit. Perhaps it is time to put their purchases to use. I would prefer to have the Mt. Umunhum property used for anything other than what it has become. Once it was purchased, its privacy made it ideal for illegal operations, such as growing marijuana and allowing the nearby landowner to continue threatening those who would visit the property. Why isn't our agency more active in allowing citizens to use the land it is preserving?
Instead of preserving more land for some undefined function, they could be negotiating for contiguous areas which would expand or complete walkways, and trade areas of lesser use.
I intend to vote no for the $8 million additional assessment in the hopes of taking part in a dialog to consider the needs to which incremental funds should be applied.
Robert Meyer
Los Gatos
There is a right and wrong way to display flag
It has recently been heartwarming to see the many American flags on display throughout the country since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Before we put the flags all away until the next occasion for their display, I wish to pass along some items of flag etiquette pertinent to the American flag.
1. When displayed upon a house or wall, the flag should be hung so that the field of stars should be in the upper left corner as seen by the viewer. (The only time the Stars should be in the upper right corner is when the flag is placed upon a coffin, and that is not what we are proclaiming at this time. It is not a procedure for simulating flying the flag at half-mast.)
2. If the flag is flown after sunset, it should be illuminated. (This may be rather difficult for many people at this time, so it may be excusable to forgo this item now.)
Keep up the spirit, America.
Donald R. Worn
Los Gatos
Voters need to speak out about recent bill
Public health and safety recently suffered a serious blow at the hands of politicians unable to withstand the power of big money special interests. On the final days of California's legislative session, the speaker of the Assembly blocked vital consumer protection legislation from being voted on. SB11 would have protected consumers from defective products (Firestone tires) and environmental hazards (PG&E Chromium 6) that kill, maim and poison our families, friends and neighbors.
The decision to block the bill was the result of heavy lobbying on behalf of corporate conglomerates who prefer to place profits over people. In a democracy, elected representatives must serve the people, not just wealthy special interest groups who can help them get re-elected. Here, when the speaker and "business" (read anti-consumer) Democrats refused to take this measure up, they failed us as legislative leaders and will be responsible for allowing events like the Firestone and PG&E tragedies to continue.
I am proud to be an American where democracy is king and the average person can have a voice. What a sad day when America loses its democracy and becomes a puppet of the special interests who pay to have their interests dominate the peoples.
I urge everyone to get involved. It doesn't take much: a telephone call, letter or email to your legislator. Tell them the consequences of their actions and how you appreciate when they do the right thing. If you don't get involved, don't complain about the rules made for you to live by.
Robert H. Bohn Jr.
Los Gatos
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
